New Year, New You!
"The New Year is the accepted time to make your regular annual good resolutions. Next week you can begin paving hell with them as usual." Mark Twain
By this time most of the resolve to lose weight and get in shape has been shelved. This postponement is due to the football playoffs, a holiday weekend trip, or just good old procrastination. Right now most die-hard football fans are putting all plans on hold until Super Bowl Sunday is over.
While the proportions of individuals who are glued to TV football are small, a large group of those desiring to attain an ideal body weight is stalled out. They are stalled out for many reasons. Sometimes the commercial diet plans glut overwhelms and confuse those trying to get help with weight loss. This confusion is due in part to the fact that many have tried with some success a few of these plans only to regain the weight they lost once they resumed their previous eating style. So, why do the same thing over?
Then there are a plethora of wellness books, weight loss books and talk shows advocating a particular diet/wellness style. All these carry a similar message: count calories, use portion control, exercise and you can attain an ideal body weight. The other variance on the theme is "just eat right and exercise."
Most folks don't know what that means. They don't know what their particular ideal body weight is and they don't get what eating right signifies. Let's try to briefly identify and define what these elements are.
What is my ideal Body Weight?
Ideal body weight is determined by many factors the least of which is the bathroom scale or trying to emulate a body image airbrushed into "perfection" in a magazine. One needs to take into account how much lean body mass they have. If you are a man who weighs 180 pounds and is 5' 10" tall, you might have a lean body mass of 150 pounds. In this instance desiring an ideal body weight of 160 pounds is going to be really tough to maintain.
On the other hand if you are a woman, 5' 5" and weigh 190 pounds, it is possible for you to have a lean body mass of 145 pounds. In this example attempting to weigh 150 is going to present a lot of problems as well.
In both examples it is important to have and acceptable amount of fat mass reserve. The reason is that, as humans, we do not do well with fat masses below 20% for women and 5% for men.
The bathroom scale is inadequate in making this determination. However there are bathroom scales with body fat analysis available. The accuracy of these fat percents obtained on these scales is close enough to get started. Additionally there are hand held fat mass devices that are very good. Most electronic stores can help you with these units.
Once you have an estimate of what your current fat mass is, you can then assess what your present ideal body weight should be. The way to do this is to subtract your fat pounds from your current weight. For example: if you weigh 200 pounds and learn that your fat mass is approximately 50 pounds then your lean body mass is 150 pounds. If you are a woman you want to consider a residual fat mass of 18 to 20 percent. If you are a man you could consider a fat mass of as little as 7 percent but not more than 15 percent.
As you evaluate this number you can begin to make a nutritional plan. Remember, what you weighed in high school or at your wedding might be irrelevant.
How do I determine what to eat?
Protein intake:
For every ten pounds of lean body mass, you will need to eat one once of protein. This means if you have 160 pounds of lean body mass then you will need to consume on a daily basis a total of 16 ounces of some kind of protein. The best way to get fluent in food composition is to find a reference book at your local book store.
There are a lot of food composition applications available for smart phones as well. Use these with caution, as they are inaccurate in some instances. However, even with these inaccuracies, the estimates they provide are helpful.
One must split up the protein intake into 3 meals, or 6 smaller meals. Do what works for you. Remember that protein is absolutely essential for human life and that protein composition varies by type. Fish contains less protein per ounce than beef. These differences need to be compensated in the eating plan.
Please consult with your health care provider if you have any condition that requires a limit your intake of protein.
Carbohydrate intake:
The amount of carbohydrate intake necessary to obtain an ideal body weight will vary from individual to individual. This variable is frustrating to many because one person may be able consume a larger amount of carbohydrates than another. Because we like to compare ourselves to another, it is hard to understand why this is so. This difference is due in part to insulin resistance and its presence in individuals.
Insulin resistance may be not present in every person, but it may be present in you. This factor will frustrate your efforts to lose weight. This is most noticeable when groups are using a similar eating plan. Should you have co-morbidities like hypertension, diabetes, sleep apnea and indigestion then you can assume that you are uniquely insulin resistant.
Therefore the best starting place for carbohydrate intake is at 50 Grams daily. Most folks have no clue what this looks like. Using your food composition reference books or an application you can figure this out. Here are a couple of examples of what this 50 Gram sample might look like:
2 small fresh fruit servings
1 large green salad
2 cups of steamed veggies
OR:
1 small fresh fruit
1 small starch (bread, pasta, beans or bread)
1 large green salad
2 cups of steamed veggies
This may seem easy now that it is spelled out. One of the principles of insulin resistance management in weight loss is that carbohydrate intake cannot be banked. In other words, do not pile them all in at the same time. Carbohydrate intake must be taken in at no more than 15 Grams at one time. This will keep insulin levels from fluctuating from high to low.
A key point to remember is that protein will elevate blood sugar. There is a special relationship in the digestive system between the pancreas and the liver. By eating frequent small amounts of protein the liver is able to release fatty acids which are quickly turned into blood sugar. This is done with the cooperation of the pancreas. So if you are hungry, eat an ounce of protein.
Fat Intake
Yes, fat is important in weight loss. It is necessary to consume at least 30 Grams of fat each day. Fat is defined as real butter, olive oil, mayonnaise and some salad dressings. In most cases it is reasonable to take in 40 grams of fat daily. Again, spread out these amounts throughout the day. Use the butter on the vegetables, the salad dressing on the salad. Consider it done. Whatever you do, avoid going fat free.
Water and Beverage Intake
Adequate water intake is crucial in obtaining optimal fat loss. Most of us cannot escape the fact that water intake must be incorporated into any wellness eating plan. Unless you have kidney complications or congestive heart failure, copious amount of water are necessary to obtain ideal body weight. Please consult with your physician on your water intake if you have any of these complications.
As a rule, 96 ounces of water per day is within normal tolerances for adults. This is equivalent to 12 eight-ounce glasses of water a day. There are no substitutes for water. Coffee and tea are not water. Carbonated sweetened beverages are not water either.
This is a brief outline for the nutritional structure of a personalized eating plan. A personalized eating style will depend on variables that were briefly discussed in this essay.
For a detailed discussion of eating plans, refer to my book "Why You Can't Have Your Cake & Eat It Too." Please contact me for your personal consultation.
Good luck on your effort to obtain your personal best ideal body weight. Don't let too much time go by to begin your efforts. From many of the personal encounters with patients over the years, I can say that there is no better time than now to begin your efforts. Let no economic frustration, job displeasure or emotional downturn keep you from reaching your goal.
The plan described is an "eating less, portion controlled" plan. Exercise is something that is a great benefit for those who are able. The best aerobic exercise is walking. Get out there and walk 30 minutes a day.
Wishing you all the best in 2010,
Nadine Campbell, R.N., January 18, 2010
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